Thread-board.



J. A. JOHNSTON.

THREAD BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2, 1911.

Patented May 19, 1914.

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coLuMalA PLANOGRAPH 120., WASHINGTON, D-C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. JOHNSTON, 0F WHITINSVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE WHI'IIN MACHINE WORKS, OF WHITINSVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION MASSACHUSETTS.

THREAD-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1914:.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN A. JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Whitinsville, Worcester county, Massachusetts, have invented the new and useful Improvements in Thread-Boards set forth in the following specification. i

This invention is an adaptation of frictional detent means to the thread guides or finger-heads of spinning and like soft fiber machines, its object being to produce a positive tendency in the threadguides to remain in their horizontal operating positionsunless intentionally turned back, so that when the hinged thread board rail to which the individual threadguides are hinged, is returnedfrom its lifted to its normal position, all of the thread-guides will be simultaneously brought back with it. The individual thread-guides can be turned back on their own axes by the application of suflicient force to overcome the frictional detention, and the invention thus provides all the advantages of older arrangements and at the same time avoids the possibility that such guides as may have become loose in their hinges and have fallen back when the thread-board rail has been lifted, may remain so after it has been returned, thus causing a break in the yarn of that particular thread-guide.

In the accompanying one sheet of drawings which forms part of this specification, Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view of the thread-guide structure shown in Fig. 2, taken on the plane of the thread-guide shank in that figure; Fig. 2 is a vertical, central section of Fig. 1, in the plane of the shank,

both Figs. 1 and 2 showing the thread-' guide in slightly enlarged scale and in its horizontal or worklng positlon; Flg. 3 1s a front elevation, partly in vertical central section, through the axis ofthe hinge, and

showing the thread-guide shank in its upright position; Fig. 4 is a similar view with the thread-guide shank 111 its working position; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of several thread-guides as supported on the roller beam of a spinning frame; Fig. 6 is a detail of a modified form of one of the hinge members.

Referring first to Fig.5, a port-ion of the roller beam of a spinning machine is shown at 1, and the thread-board, which is supported thereon by hinges 2, is marked 3, and carries a row of thread-guides 4 hinged to its forward margin so that the guides can be individually turned back on their own axes or can all be simultaneously swung back by the lifting of the thread-board rail on its hinges, which operation is necessary in order to dofi the spindles of the spinning machine (which do not appear in the drawing). The thread-guides shown in the present case as the usual wire pig-tails, have shanks or supports 5 each of which is contained within a transverse hole in a cylindrical rotary barrel 6 and adjustably 'secured therein by means. of a set-screw 7, diswith the spindle that it serves. The rotary barrel 6 constitutes one of the members of the thread-guide hinge, and is carried by the other hinge member, which may be and preferably is formed of a sheet metal plate 8 adjustably secured by bolts 9 to the under side of the thread-board rail 3 and extended forwardly vtherefrom, where it is cylindrically curled to-form aknuckle 10, which knuckle surrounds'andforms a journal or seat in which the barrel 6 is fitted to rotate. Preferably in its central portion the knuckle is circularly slotted 11) to accommodate the projecting threadrguide shank 5 and to allow it to turn or swing upwardly from its horizontal or working position, indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, toits upright position, indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, and also indicated by Fig. 3. The confinement of the shank in the slot serves to confine the barrel in the knuckle, preventing its removal therefrom except by the removal of the shank from its hole. Both ends of the slot may 'form abutments limiting the rotary movement of the shank in either direction. but in the case shown vonlythe upper end forms such abutment and the shank is held horizontal by the engagement of its rearmost. end with the under side of the rail 3, as shown in Fig. 2. The shankslot is provided with av detent member which in the present caseconsists of a semi circular notch 12 cut in one side of the slot at the point therein which the shank occupies when in working position. The shank itself forms the cooperating detent member adapted to engage this notch in a yielding manner when in such position, and is constantly urged into such engagement by the pressure of a small spiral spring 13 disposed in the end of the knuckle opposite the notch and thrusting directly against the end of the barrel.

The abutment for the spring on the knuckl is formed in the present. case by a circular disk 14 pressed into and closing the end of the knuckle, and which is efiective in keeping dirt out of the rotary joint between the barrel and knuckle, but obviously any suitable projection, tab, or recess in the knuckle, adapted to hold the spring, would be the functional equivalent for such disk, and obviously also the said spring could impart its pressure to the barrel or shank member of the hinge by engagement therewith at other points. lVith the shank in the position indicated by Fig. 4:, its guide-eye is in line with the spindle axis, the depth of the notch having been outwith reference to this condition. By the application of sufficient upward force thereto, the shank can be turned upwardly, riding over the shoulder 12 formed at the junction of the slot and notch, and compressing the spring until it reaches its upper position. The friction produced by the spring,however, will cause the shank in this form of the invention, to

be maintained at any point in'the slot after it has passed the detent shoulder, as will be plain from a consideration of Figs. 1 to 4. Such condition of the friction is due to the disposition of the slotll at substantial right angles to the axis of the barrel hinge memher and the thrust of-the spring. As the shank is returned toward the horizontal position, however, and on passing the shoulder 12 the force of the springs acts to impel it to the full extent of its downward throw, since the cooperation of the notch and rounded shank form a virtual inclined surface ofengagement for such movement.

It is within this invention, as indicated in Fig. 6, to extend the detent member part or all the way around the knuckle so that as soon as or shortly after the shank has been started from its uppermost position, it will thereby become impelled by the axial pressure of the spring to move downwardly of its own accord into the horizontal position. Thus the slot 16 in Fig. 6 is formed as a semi spiral, inclined to the axial barrel movement from a point near the top where the slot is at right angles to such movement, to the'poi'nt occupied by the shank in its working position. The shank and barrel are not shown in this figure, but it will be seen that the action will be as just stated, the thread-guide moving or falling under the in the drawing, and that various modifications and alterations in the shape, form and proportions of the parts and reversals 1n the mode of operation of the device can be employed without'departing from the invention.

I claim:

1. A thread board comprising a hinged thread board rail, a row of thread guides hinged to such rail, springs for the hinges of such guides acting thereon endwise of the axes thereof and creating frictional re sistance to the hinging movement of said guides upon the rail.

2. A thread-board comprising a threadboard rail and thread guides hinged thereto provided with detent means including a projection or shoulder and a spring coacting therewith to insure full throw of the guide in its hinging movement.

3. A thread-board comprisinga'threadguide support provided with a hinge memher, a thread-guide provided with a complementary hinge member and shouldered detent means comprising a spring housed in one of such members and coacting therewith to yieldingly retain the thread-guide in a predetermined position.

4. A thread-board comprising a threadguide support and a thread-guide hinged thereto, detent means for such hinge comprising a detent projection or shoulder, a spring acting endwise of the axis of the hinge and coacting with said shoulder to insure full throw of the guide in its hinging movement.

5. A thread-board comprising a hinge knuckle, a rotary barrel therein having a thread-guide shank transversely projecting therefrom, a spring in the knuckle pressing against the barrel and creating friction in the movement of the thread-guide on the knuckle.

6(A thread-board comprising a hinge knuckle provided with a transverse slot having a detent shoulder in one side thereof, a rotary barrel in the knuckle having a thread-guide shank projecting transversely therefrom through the slot and adapted to engage the shoulder, and a spring having its abutment on the knuckle and adapted to 7. A thread-board comprising a hollow specification in the presence of two Withlnge knuckle closed at one end and connesses. tannng a rotary barrel, a tllreaol-gulde shank on the barrel and confining the same in the JOHN JOHNSTON 5 knuckle and a spring between the end of Witnesses:

the barrel and the closed end of the knuckle. CHESTER C. LAMB, In testimony whereof, I have signed this OSCAR L. OWEN.

{epics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

